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>Finnamore Appointed For Nhs North West Public Health Improvement Project

Finnamore Appointed For Nhs North West Public Health Improvement Project

05 August 2009

Healthcare consultancy Finnamore has been appointed to a framework agreement organised by NHS North West for an innovative social marketing project to tackle public health problems in the region.

The three to four year project will see health management and marketing experts brought together to develop a system of social marketing best practise, which will focus on achieving social goals rather than commercial targets.

The methodology will then be used by the region's 24 Primary Care Trusts to communicate with more than seven million people about key health issues such as diet, exercise, alcohol and drugs.

Finnamore and its partner April Strategy, along with 18 other companies, will work together on a series of projects to address specific public health problems and issues.

Finnamore has been appointed to advise on two key areas of the project. Under 'stakeholder and public engagement' the company will advise on the legal and policy frameworks within which the NHS must operate for any of the social marketing projects.

It has also been appointed to consult on the subject of 'secondary and primary consumer research', which will see Finnamore and April advising on the process of researching existing attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and barriers to change.

Managing director, John Deverill, said of the appointment: "We all know that prevention is better than cure, and this is especially true when talking about public health.

"The new social marketing framework will help NHS North West to take a more proactive approach to healthcare.

"Rather than treating patients on an individual basis we will be looking at the bigger picture and tackling the root causes of ill-health.

"Together, we can work towards a social marketing strategy that will deliver real results and can be rolled out across the region to address key public health issues."

Elaine Darbyshire, Executive Director of Strategic Communications at NHS North West said, "Engaging with and understanding the needs of the seven million people we serve in the North West is more than ever a fundamental part of improving health and wellbeing in the region.

"This framework will undoubtedly help us to be more effective in developing high quality social marketing in the North West over the coming years which will enable communicators from all aspects of health to drive real and lasting benefit from their campaigns."

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Notes to editors:

The new Finnamore was created in June 2009 through the merger of Finnamore Management Consultants, The Health Works, and The Change Works

Together, the businesses have an extensive client portfolio of healthcare organisations across the UK, undertaking a wide range of consultancy assignments.

Finnamore's work will encompass all management issues encountered in health and social care sectors both public and private, from perennial healthcare issues to pioneering new initiatives and developments. It is now one of the most well established and respected consultancies operating in health in the UK. This merger will make it the largest consultancy provider dedicated to health.